I thought I’d missed out on the chance to see Scottish pop-rock act Del Amitri. They last toured Australia when I was around 10, and while they continue to gig around Europe I thought their days of international touring may be far behind them. I jumped on tickets when they finally announced an Aussie tour last year and felt fever-pitch excitement as I shuffled into the Enmore last Tuesday night.
I’ve always felt pretty lucky to have Avoca Beach Picture Theatre in my local area. It’s the kind of movie theatre that has just one screen and favours independent films of quality to the big blockbusters. You can buy wine and local arts and crafts in the foyer, and at one point a cat would wander around the cinema and sit on the lap of chosen guests. It’s the kind of place that is becoming all too rare. But now that they’re welcoming some of Australia’s best musicians to their intimate space, I’m even more thrilled. You might remember me catching The Whitlams Black Stump Band there recently, and last night I was back again for Mahalia Barnes.
By now you might realise that this won’t be a standard concert review. However, while Saturday’s Sting concert wasn’t what any of us wanted and expected, we still received an afternoon filled with great music so I decided it was important to write about what I did experience.
After decades touring with Human Nature, Phil Burton has gone solo. It must be a daunting prospect, stepping out from one of Australia’s most beloved acts, especially one that relies so heavily on harmonies. He admitted to the crowd at Lizotte’s, his very first solo show, that he was terrified. But he kept those nerves in check and proved that he doesn’t need the safety net of Human Nature to wow music lovers.
I don’t often travel interstate for gigs. But when Andrew McMahon announced his current Australian tour and the Sydney date clashed with previously made plans, I knew I had to head to Meeanjin/Brisbane. I’m a relative newcomer to Andrew’s music, discovering it through a friend in the early days of the pandemic. In a dark time, sinking my teeth into his exhaustive back catalogue brought colour into my world. I listened to little else for months. When I was at my angstiest, there was Something Corporate. When I needed hope, there was the lighter indie-pop of his Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness material. I thought Everything in Transit, from his Jack’s Mannequin days, was one of the most exciting albums I’d ever heard. I’ve always been of the belief that it doesn’t matter when you get into an artist’s music. It’s there when you need it. And if you’re lucky, you get to join long-term fans in a gig like Wednesday night’s show at The Triffid in Brisbane and feel like part of a community.
I bought tickets for Bat Out of Hell: The Musical back in December 2019. Back then COVID-19 hadn’t arrived in Australia and both Meatloaf and Jim Steinman were still alive. I’m not sure how many times it was postponed, but I do know I was starting to wonder whether it’d ever happen. However, good things come to those who wait, and I finally got my chance to see the musical that’s had the West End buzzing.
After the festive season slowdown, I’ve been itching to find some new music that really resonates with me. And then Rhys Duursma sent me a copy of his gorgeous debut solo EP, Songs from Swan Street Vol. I. I just know you’re going to get excited about it too.
In 2020, Yorke blew me away with her debut EP Liberosis. I loved it so much that I named it among my top releases of the year. I couldn’t wait to hear what came next, but I’m glad Yorke has taken her time with a follow-up. Two years after her breakthrough, she’s treated us with ten feet tall.
The year might be winding down, but I love that I’m still finding music to get excited about. Boorloo/Perth artist Eli Greeneyes is the latest act I can’t stop listening to. With just five songs, his self-titled EP makes a definitive statement that he’s arrived.
I’ve gushed over Georgie Neilsen’s singles “Eyes Wide Open” and “Last Time I Felt Better,” so I was pretty thrilled to hear her debut EP Suburban Daze. My expectations were high, but I’ve been listening to little else for the last few days. Yes, it’s that good. There was a big part of me that wondered whether I had enough left to say after heaping so much praise on nearly half the songs. But I couldn’t miss the opportunity to put this music on your radar.